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A relaxing retreat for all seasons in Stowe, VermontSun, 22 Mar 2015 16:53:43 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1Sugar on Snowhttp://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=167
http://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=167#commentsSun, 22 Mar 2015 16:53:43 +0000brasslanhttp://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=167Ok, as much as we love our winter activities we also embrace the upcoming Mud Season (more on that in a follow up blog) and the opportunity to celebrate the passing seasons, winter to spring with the traditional “Sugar on Snow.”

What?Sugar on snow?As you may know, Vermont is the single largest producer of maple syrup in the U.S.“Sugar on snow” is a delicacy here in Vermont found this time of year at many sugar houses (where they produce the maple syrup).Essentially this dish is made by drizzling hot maple syrup over a bowl of snow.The syrup congeals and hardens to create a crystallized treat.That’s right and to complete the tableaux the traditional Vermonters will have this sugar on snow with a donut and finish it off with a dill pickle.

The Boyden family has been making Vermont maple syrup for five generations in the picturesque Lamoille River Valley using a traditional wood-fired evaporator with sap collected from over 300 acres of maple trees located on their farm.Did you know it takes 40 gallons of Maple tree sap to produce 1 gallon of maple syrup?Vermont farms produced approximately 1.3 million gallons of maple syrup in 2014.

There is typically only a week or two where the sap runs and the optimal conditions permit the process of sugaring to occur. The sap from maple trees flows when the trees experience an abundance of sunshine (reawakening the growing season) with temperatures below freezing at night and daytime temperatures above freezing during the day.

The whole process of how we get local maple syrup to our breakfast table from those amazing maple trees is best described at the sugar house.There you will find the true Vermont sense of tradition of producing high quality, all natural, maple syrup, nothing added, ever.

If you have never experienced sugar on snow you need to add it to the list of things to experience here in the Stowe area and of course we hope you will consider the Brass Lantern Inn as your home base, independent of the season at hand.

]]>http://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=1670Friends Returninghttp://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=163
http://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=163#commentsSun, 15 Mar 2015 17:00:46 +0000brasslanhttp://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=163Of the many “perks” that we feel come with this “job” as Innkeepers, certainly, one of the most rewarding is the opportunity to welcome back friends from one or many more previous stays.This past weekend we were so very fortunate to have a full house/”no vacancy” sort of weekend with six of our nine guest rooms filled with returning friends.

We had Louise (Weezie) and Allen here (all the way from southern Vermont!) returning to the Brass Lantern Inn to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.These friends enjoy Vermont so much that they actually stay here and we are so richly rewarded to have this opportunity to host them again and again.And we were so humbled that they felt that the Brass Lantern Inn was the “perfect place to be to celebrate our 40th anniversary!”Thank you Weezie and Allen.

Bruce and Sheila have been coming to the Brass Lantern Inn for more years than we have even been the Innkeepers here.They come at least once a year, typically for the winter activities of cross country and downhill skiing but have also come in the summer with bicycles in tow.This past weekend, like all previous examples of their stays, they bring their guitar, beautiful musical voices and warm, infectious laughter.This time they brought family with them taking over four of our nine guest rooms.Thank you Bruce and Sheila.

Paul and Maria made their yearly trek from the Boston area.We joked that they had to come north to great a break from the record snowfalls that the Boston and southern New England area experienced this year.At least here they can do something with the snow other than just shoveling it out of the way.Thank you Paul and Maria.

This past Friday, the main gathering room of the Brass Lantern Inn was filled with music and good times thanks to the Bruce and Sheila.We sure wish we could have them here every weekend as it was such great way for all of our guests to get to know one another gathered around the fireplace, sharing Cabot cheddar cheese, wine or your favorite local micro brew. Our music night was shared with Weezie and Allen, Anthony and Carol from Nashville, Tennessee, as well as Susan from Toronto (and family of Bruce and Sheila).I think we all made new friends this past weekend.

I miss my family back in Columbus, Ohio and our friends from our former lives in Baltimore, Maryland.While that loss can be tempered by phone calls, social media, and the occasional off-season trips to see family and old friends, our lives are so full now with so many new friends through our current position in life here as Innkeepers of the Brass Lantern Inn.We have also had the occasion to host family and friends which is even more special here in Vermont!

How can this role as an Innkeeper be classified as a job when we have the greatest opportunity to meet so many wonderful people?Ok, when the printer breaks down during the busiest weekend of the winter or a heating valve sticks in the closed/off position on a night where it is 18 below, or the housekeeper quits on Valentine’s Day Saturday morning or any number of small issues like this you get a sense of why it might be considered a job.But truly these are all trivial matters in the larger context of this wonderful experience.

And this is all before you realize you are in this wonderful corner of paradise called Stowe, Vermont!Yes, we are so very thankful to be here and it is only through the support of our guests and friends, both new and returning that allow us this unique opportunity.We never take that for granted and hope you see that in return from us through our service and warm welcome.Thank you all!

This coming December 29th, Mary Anne and I will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary! We will also be celebrating our 5th anniversary as Innkeepers of the Brass Lantern Inn which will occur on the 16th of December, 2014.

In both cases it’s amazing to realize how quickly time and events pass through our lives. For our wedding anniversary, we have, in part, Stowe to thank as this was the special place where Mary Anne and I first crossed paths in that fateful summer of 1983. It was that summer where I met Mary Anne here in Stowe at the start of a week long, guided bike tour of Vermont. Who knew that 26 years later from that summer encounter that we would find ourselves back here in Stowe. And of course we never imagined at that time that we would return here as Innkeepers of the Brass Lantern Inn. Ok, to be fair, the Brass Lantern Inn, Bed & Breakfast, didn’t exist in 1983, but, you get the idea!

As Innkeepers, the stories that we have shared with so many literally thousands of guests over these past 5 years could fill pages and pages of blogs. Fortunately, I am usually so busy experiencing this life that I typically don’t have time to record it on this keyboard. Our guests provide us with a renewed sense of excitement about Stowe and this area of Vermont as we get to see this place through each guests’ unique perspective (each and every day). Throw in how very different this setting is with each passing season and you can see how life just quickly marches on with us just trying to squeeze every moment and experience all that we can from it in passing.

So, you see, these two anniversaries are really so very intertwined that it is impossible for me to respond to those guests who ask, “what brought you to Stowe?” and “what made you want to be an Innkeeper?” without mentioning our very personal connection to this unique place in Vermont.

And finally, to finish this celebratory note I give a nod to the Thanksgiving holiday – we are so very grateful for this opportunity we have had as Innkeepers over the past 5 years. We have and know that we will continue to meet funny, touching, gracious, caring and friendly guests that in many instances become our most recent friends. I am so very thankful that I had that chance meeting with my incredible wife, dearest friend, Mary Anne, and know clearly that without her I would not be living this dream today. Thank you my dear!!

Happy Thanksgiving all. Hugs to our friends,

George

]]>http://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=1520“Bed and something called, breakfast”http://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=147
http://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=147#commentsTue, 22 Apr 2014 02:50:31 +0000brasslanhttp://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=147Our family recently had the opportunity for a two night getaway to Boston (over the Easter weekend). Great time, love Boston; diverse cultures, deep history, a proud sense of place for Bostonians and we were blessed with wonderful weather throughout our short two and a half day stay. We also had our first experience at a Red Sox game at Fenway Park with the home team winning the game in a clutch, bottom-of-the-ninth-inning, kind of way. Fenway was rocking and on our first visit!

We don’t travel outside of Stowe regularly as we truly enjoy what still feels like our new career as Innkeepers in our newly adopted town of Stowe, Vermont, but this trip helped me understand how important a local, friendly concierge can be to someone who is completely foreign to the area, to feel welcomed and appreciated for making an investment in this lodging establishment, and most importantly the value of a real breakfast.

Based on our personal budget needs and the special needs of those family members travelling together, we selected a franchise hotel brand near a commuter train station just west of Boston. The location, near a commuter train line that provided easy in and out access to Boston was a prime decision maker for us. Overall, we received about what you would expect from a mid/upper priced franchise hotel experience. No major flaws, but nothing really to write home about or recommend to our friends either.

The mattresses were fine, the bed linens were fine (though it would have been nice to have an extra blanket and pillows in the closet) the level of amenities in the bathroom was fine, etc. The through-the-wall heater/ac unit was about as noisy as you would expect from these kind of devices, though, it was very efficient and I have to admit ultimately became somewhat effective as background noise to drown out the lawn mowing that started well before 8 a.m. on our last morning there. Ultimately, everything (with one slight issue that I will leave for a separate story) was “fine.”

Nothing really memorable about the entire experience and this at $200/night has me wondering.

I know we weren’t staying in a “Bed & Breakfast” type of lodging and the hotel truthfully advertised a complimentary “continental breakfast” but “continental breakfast” certainly can vary from passable food to “I’ll take a cup of hot tea/coffee to go please…” In this case, it was passable as I made due with creating a toasted plain bagel, cream cheese and sliced hard-boiled egg sandwich from that which was presented to me in a series of baskets on a cloth draped banquet table with paper plates, plastic spoon and fork (they were out of plastic knives on our last morning). Trying to slice the hard-boiled egg and spread the cream cheese without a knife took some creativity.

So my question is, has breakfast lost its role in our fast paced society? Why can’t a breakfast be as enjoyable, satisfying and yes, as memorable as a dinner? Most certainly we all can tell you our favorite place to have a special dinner, but why is it that breakfast seems to be left out in our current culinary experiences?

The meal termed “Breakfast” means just that, to break our fast. Thoughtfully considered I think that breakfast can, and should be, the most important meal of the day. I think we have kind of lost that notion as you see television advertisements for “breakfast bars” and oh, my goodness, “Eggo Bites” that come in a bag that you pop in the microwave oven and eat on your way to school. These Eggo Bites even have “maple flavor.” Mmmm, mmm good. Really, is that what breakfast has been reduced to in our society?

And I recognize that culturally, breakfast is experienced quite differently from guest to guest in their native homeland. We have and do happily adjust our breakfast menus to that of our guests preferences, diet and allergies. For instance, some of our guests like something “lighter” while our outdoor enthusiasts are looking for a fresh, hearty breakfast providing fuel to keep them energized while climbing, skiing, hiking, biking, etc. and are grateful for the attention we pay to this part of their lodging experience (extra buttermilk, blueberry pancakes please?, Absolutely!).

Since Breakfast is part of our lodging signature we happen to think it is critically important that breakfast is thought of as more than just a passable means of starting your day. I love to cook, and with all humility aside, I hope my passion is carried through to our guests from the variety and consideration of each day’s menu through and including the execution and presentation onto warm china plates that are all served with a bright, happy attitude each and every morning. I want someone to recognize this isn’t your standard diner fare breakfast here at the “Brass Lantern Inn, Bed & Breakfast.”

Is it a long signature name; “Brass Lantern Inn, Bed & Breakfast,” for a lodging establishment? Perhaps, but if we were just Brass Lantern Inn we could easily be lumped in with those franchise hotels that have “Inn” at the end of their names and that’s not the career and/or lifestyle I was looking for when we purchased this lovely Bed and Breakfast.

So many thoughts on this recent stay on the other side of the sheets and will post more thoughts on them soon as I’m sure we need to keep Google “happy” with our posts and keep that SEO strong and fresh!

Night all,

George

]]>http://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=1470Last Run of the Seasonhttp://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=140
http://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=140#commentsSat, 12 Apr 2014 13:39:19 +0000brasslanhttp://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=140This time of year is always somewhat bittersweet in Stowe, Vermont. While I enjoy the longer days, warming temperatures, the emergence of our garden beds, and the opportunity to bring out the bikes I recognize my ski days are coming to an end and I’m not really looking forward to that last run. I still keep the skis in the car and try to sneak in a few early morning runs when I can. This past Thursday, 4/10, was one for the books; a bluebird day, clear skies, temps. in the mid 50’s with soft snow and a wonderful sense of solitude (just a few fortunate people on the mountain able to adjust their life schedules to fit in a ski day). Now, also have to admit by noon the conditions got a bit like mash potato but that’s when the tailgating begins!

Now that the snow has finally all but disappeared from down here in the valley, I get to reconnect with the gardens that have been asleep under a blanket of snow since late November. I know this may sound strange but without our winter white we now long for some color. Yesterday, I stopped off at our local plant nursery and picked up some pansies to dress up the front entrance with some hanging baskets as the ground is still too firm for a shovel.

I know I will ultimately be happy to move the skis out of the vehicle soon to make room for the golf clubs and planned-for mountain bike! These days I like to drive past the Stowe Country Club on my way to Mt. Mansfield to “check on things” and make my guess as to an opening day for the golf season here in Stowe.

Our last run for the past couple of years, has coincided with Easter Sunrise Service at the top of Mt. Mansfield. This year, due to the generosity of a neighbor here in town, we will actually be in Boston on Easter Sunday for a Red Sox/Orioles game! So, last run, sometime this week, and look forward to another fabulous spring, summer and fall here at the Brass Lantern Inn in Stowe. Come join us for an escape from the ordinary!

Happy Spring, George

]]>http://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=1400Left Turns in Stowehttp://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=128
http://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=128#commentsWed, 02 Apr 2014 19:15:51 +0000brasslanhttp://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=128I love small towns on so many levels. Just one attribute of this peaceful, New England town that draws us closer to its heart ever day; left turns in Stowe, Vermont.

Moving here from a major metropolitan area of the Baltimore/Washington D.C. we were immediately struck by the courtesy and politeness of drivers with “green plates” (of course that would be Vermont). One of our frequent errands includes going to the Post Office, which, from the Brass Lantern Inn, requires a left turn off of Main Street onto Depot St. A driver with green plates, with several cars behind them, stopped in front of me, flashed their lights, and gave a nice little wave yielding the right of way.

Of course this is just one of those infectious courtesies that can be discovered in Stowe, Vermont. Like holding the door open for the next person behind, you immediately realize this is not the big city and to feel part of it your responses and actions should reflect those around you in similar regard.

Downtown Stowe is marked by the only “traffic light” in the town, a flashing red, three way, stop sign. I am consistently amazed at how efficient this system of traffic control is to our community’s needs. In fact, the nearest full red, yellow, green traffic light is a good 10 miles from here. And if there is ever even the slight discussion in town to add a light at a particularly busy crossing (“busy” being a relative term where you might have a back up of say 4 or 5 cars), you are met with some polite local response of “we like our small town feel just the way it is, thank you very much!”

So, if you are traveling through Stowe and need to make that left turn, don’t be surprised if someone flashes their lights and gives you a friendly wave. And don’t forget to pass along the courtesy. – George

]]>http://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=1280“Spring” is here, well, sort of…http://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=124
http://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=124#commentsSat, 22 Mar 2014 15:43:51 +0000brasslanhttp://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=124What a winter it has been here in the north country of Vermont. And while the calendar says we are into day 3 of spring, the snow and the conditions for outdoor enthusiasts are probably the best they have been all winter. Truly!

All outdoor activities of skiing, riding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, dog sledding, snowmobiling, ok, you name your favorite winter activity, is still on here in the month of March (and most likely well into April) in Stowe, Vermont.

There are signs, however, that winter is losing some grip as our recent warm sunny days, cool crisp nights are also perfect for the true spring event in Vermont; Maple Sugaring. The sap is running now that we have the temperatures swinging from below freezing overnight and well into the 30’s and 40’s during the day. Have you ever tried “sugar on snow?” It is an amazing “culinary” experience and the whole experience of how those maple sugar farmers turn maple sap into maple syrup is well worth the trip to a local sugar house/shack to see for yourself.

And preparations for spring in Stowe and here at the Brass Lantern Inn are well underway. We plan to expand our wildflower meadow out back as the 8 pounds of flower seed mix has just arrived (now just waiting for the couple of feet of snow to melt…). Building Plans are being drawn up from retired architect, George, for a new deck off the dining room. We are looking forward to offering breakfast “al fresco” this summer with Mt. Mansfield as the perfect backdrop to that setting!

We hope you had a wonderful winter and if you haven’t had your fill of winter activities or perhaps you were too busy with life and just couldn’t fit us into your calendar this past season there is still time to enjoy it. The Stowe Mountain Resort is scheduled to be open for skiing and riding until April 20th. We know, great stuff, huh?

]]>http://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=1240Mid-Winter Report from Stowe, Vermonthttp://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=118
http://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=118#commentsSun, 26 Jan 2014 15:44:32 +0000brasslanhttp://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=118We have had quite the range of weather conditions here in Stowe so far this winter season. Starting out with several good dumps of snow in late November and early December, we were again skiing well before Thanksgiving 2013.

The season started out so promising and even with a few rainy weekends in late December, early January, our guests have certainly pulled a wonderful time out of each stay.

As one guest told us, “It’s never the wrong weather, only the wrong clothes.” We think that is a great motto to consider in northern Vermont, especially during the transition periods of each of our wonderful four seasons. With so many outdoor activities to choose from and some amazing scenery as your backdrop, and while we do everything we can to make your room a sanctuary, we recommend getting out and experiencing our unique location.

Downhill skiing at Stowe Mountain Resort has clearly benefited from the Mountain’s $8.5 million investment over the past two years in snowmaking equipment. We have experienced some wonderful ski days, everything from spring-like conditions to cover-all-exposed-skin-surfaces types of conditions and can report a great time was had by all with each trip to the mountain.

The Stowe Arena, our new, fully enclosed ice arena (that will also be used for “turf” sports in spring/summer) opened in December to rave reviews (locals and visitors). Hockey is huge here in northern Vermont and while you are sure to see lots of this activity in the new arena there are daily open ice skating sessions each day to allow our guests to get out on the ice.

With all that there is to do in Stowe, in any of our seasons, it’s important to also remember the benefits of Rest and Relaxation! Remember we do our best to provide that warm, inviting home away from home atmosphere in your guest room and our common areas. We understand if you just want to curl up in front of the fireplace and read a book, take a nap, and just relax. We get it!

Oh, and don’t forget to follow/Like us on the Brass Lantern Inn, Bed and Breakfast Facebook page as we keep you updated on the seasonal scenery and any last minute specials and packages.

]]>http://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=1180Vermont and the Town of Stowe by the Numbershttp://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=108
http://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=108#commentsSun, 28 Jul 2013 15:17:40 +0000brasslanhttp://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=108Vermont is known as the “Green Mountain State” and rightly so when your consider some of the following stats –

• There are 223 mountains in Vermont with Mt. Mansfield topping out at almost 4,400 ft. elevation and within view of our back porch and most of our guest rooms
• While one of the smallest states in area, 9,200 square miles, our state truly earns that “green” status when you consider that 76% of scenic state is forested

Have a desire to get outside? Check out just a few stats regarding some of our outdoor options –

• 5.5 miles of paved bike path, the “Stowe Rec Path,” from the center of our idyllic New England Town center to the base of Mt. Mansfield. Stunning views all along the way
• 50 + miles of Mountain Bike Trails within the Stowe area alone. We can also direct you to Mountain Bike Riding Centers nearby in the Northeast Kingdom
• For the kayakers/canoeists – there are over 7,000 miles of rivers and streams with connections to the 740 mile long Northern Forest Canoe Trail
• Hiking your passion? Take on sections or the entire 273 miles of the Long Trail stretching from our southern border with Massachusetts to our neighbors to the north in Canada

More of a Winter person? Oh, do we have that covered –

• 287 inches – total amount of natural snowfall on Mt. Mansfield for the 2012-13 winter
• Stowe Mountain Resort provides 485 acres with 39 miles of skiable terrain so get out early and plan to stay late to get it all in
• Like to glide on skies (as in cross country)? Take on the Catamount Trail, a 300 mile, state long trail

And did you know? -

• Vermont is the second least populated state in the country (625,000 residents, about the same amount of people in the city limits of our old hometown, Baltimore, MD)
• The 6th largest lake in the country is in Vermont – yep, Lake Champlain is just a short, scenic 45 minute drive away from Stowe
• There are more than 30 breweries in Vermont and 5 of those are within a 5 to 10 mile radius of our Inn
• Stowe is 250 years old – being chartered in 1763 by Royal Governor Benning Wentworth originally as part of the “New Hampshire Colony”

This and so many other features of Vermont add up to one amazing place to experience a vacation you know you deserve! Please let us know how we can be of service and we look forward to welcoming you to Stowe.

]]>http://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=1080Snowbirds Sighted Here in Stowe, Vermont!http://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=104
http://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=104#commentsSun, 17 Feb 2013 17:13:32 +0000brasslanhttp://brasslanterninn.com/blog/?p=104We enjoy and are truly blessed to be able to showcase Vermont winters to all of our guests and have realized that many of our guests are Snowbirds in what would be considered a non-traditional migration. Some of our guests travel from the far reaches of the south seeking this unique season here in Stowe and to experience their first snowfall. Others from parts south of here have managed to make an annual migration to our little corner of Vermont to get their “snow fix.”

Of course some of the locals here, mostly our retired neighbors, do head south for a few weeks to months during the winter, but, honestly there are many more that stay in Stowe as the scenery and opportunity to get out and take advantage of our winter season is something most don’t want to miss out on.

Our winter so far has provided a lot of variation. From heavy early snow, allowing us to ski well before Thanksgiving, 2012, to a couple of thaws each followed by brisk cold nights/days and then a winter storm dump of 12 – 14″ of snow. One thaw that happened just before Christmas was quickly forgotten with a full blanket of fresh snow arriving on Christmas Eve! Best Christmas present we could imagine.

Stowe Mountain Resort, with the recent addition of an array of new, high tech. snow making equipment has proven that even in our typically challenging Vermont weather, with daily swings in temperatures, and sometimes questionable precipitation that they can consistently provide a first class ski/ride experience. We have skied easily a day or two each week since Thanksgiving (with some time off during our busy weeks!!) to conditions that can only be described as good, excellent and spectacular. And we look forward to skiing right up to and including Easter Sunday, 3/31.

Each year we have the opportunity to experience Easter Sunrise Service at the top of the Gondola Lift. Hopefully, the weather with provide us with a spectacular sunrise experience. Two out of the past three years it was snowing. After the service we ski down and that is typically our last run of the year. So, yes, we will certainly miss the winter and the great outdoor activities available to us but have to admit we also look forward to getting out the bicycles, dusting off the golf clubs, finding our hiking boots and planning the next garden very soon thereafter.

While there is still plenty of winter left (independent of what the groundhog says…) we suggest you check out our “Sweet Winter Deal” as described in the “View Our Current Specials” tab at the top of this page. See how you can take home a taste of Vermont for free! But hurry, you don’t want to miss winter in Vermont.